Promoting nuclear fuel cycle and ensuring nuclear non-proliferation/nuclear security

Tamai, Hiroshi; Mochiji, Toshiro; Senzaki, Masao*; Iwamoto, Tomonori*; Ishiguro, Yuzuru*; Kitade, Yuta; Sato, Heigo*; Suehiro, Rie*; Taniguchi, Tomihiro*; Fukasawa, Tetsuo*; et al.

Dai-41-Kai Nihon Kaku Busshitsu Kanri Gakkai Nenji Taikai Kaigi Rombunshu (Internet), 4 Pages, 2020/11

In light of recent delay of plutonium use in Japan and the increasing criticism of nuclear non-proliferation and nuclear security in the nuclear fuel cycle, the validity of these criticisms will be examined for the sustainable development of the nuclear fuel cycle policy. Issues on the view point of nuclear non-proliferation and nuclear security are examined.

Nuclear fuel cycle, nuclear non-proliferation and nuclear security in Japan, 3; Challenges on technologies for nuclear non-proliferation/nuclear security and progressing credibility

Mochiji, Toshiro; Senzaki, Masao*; Tamai, Hiroshi; Iwamoto, Tomonori*; Ishiguro, Yuzuru*; Kitade, Yuta; Sato, Heigo*; Suehiro, Rie*; Taniguchi, Tomihiro*; Fukasawa, Tetsuo*; et al.

Enerugi Rebyu, 40(8), p.56 - 57, 2020/07

Strict application of IAEA safeguards and nuclear security should be implemented for Japan's full-scale nuclear fuel cycle. Based on the knowledge and experience of research and development in the nuclear fuel cycle, nuclear material management, the effective and efficient promotion of new technologies should be promoted with scientific and demonstrative measures to strengthen the world's nuclear non-proliferation and nuclear security. Development or sophistication of new technologies, human resource development, and reinforcement of the international framework are future challenge in the international community.

Nuclear fuel cycle, nuclear non-proliferation and nuclear security in Japan, 1; Peaceful nuclear use and nuclear non-proliferation

Mochiji, Toshiro; Senzaki, Masao*; Tamai, Hiroshi; Iwamoto, Tomonori*; Ishiguro, Yuzuru*; Kitade, Yuta; Sato, Heigo*; Suehiro, Rie*; Taniguchi, Tomihiro*; Fukasawa, Tetsuo*; et al.

Enerugi Rebyu, 40(6), p.58 - 59, 2020/05

In order to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy, it is important not only to ensure safety but also to ensure nuclear non-proliferation and nuclear security. Japan has contributed to the international community through strengthening nuclear non-proliferation and nuclear security capabilities with technical and human resource development. However, in the wake of the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in 2011, Japan's nuclear power plants have not restarted or plutonium use has not progressed smoothly. Concerns have been shown. Towards appropriate steps of Japan's nuclear fuel cycle policy, such concerns are examined and future efforts are summarized.

Factors controlling dissolved Cs concentrations in east Japanese rivers

Tsuji, Hideki*; Ishii, Yumiko*; Shin, M.*; Taniguchi, Keisuke*; Arai, Hirotsugu*; Kurihara, Momo*; Yasutaka, Tetsuo*; Kuramoto, Takayuki*; Nakanishi, Takahiro; Lee, S*; et al.

Science of the Total Environment, 697, p.134093_1 - 134093_11, 2019/12

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.134093

To investigate the main factors that control the dissolved radiocesium concentration in river water in the area affected by the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident, the correlations between the dissolved Cs concentrations at 66 sites normalized to the average Cs inventories for the watersheds with the land use, soil components, topography, and water quality factors were assessed. We found that the topographic wetness index is significantly and positively correlated with the normalized dissolved Cs concentration. Similar positive correlations have been found for European rivers because wetland areas with boggy organic soils that weakly retain Cs are mainly found on plains. However, for small Japanese river watersheds, the building area ratio in the watershed strongly affected the dissolved Cs concentration.

Generation of He clusters via neutron-He absorption reaction toward visualization of full velocity field in quantum turbulence

Matsushita, Taku*; Sonnenschein, V.*; Guo, W.*; Hayashida, Hirotoshi*; Hiroi, Kosuke; Hirota, Katsuya*; Iguchi, Tetsuo*; Ito, Daisuke*; Kitaguchi, Masaaki*; Kiyanagi, Yoshiaki*; et al.

Journal of Low Temperature Physics, 196(1-2), p.275 - 282, 2019/07

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10909-018-02112-3

Summary of discussion on AESJ special committee; Study of ensuring safety for near-surface disposal of uranium-bearing waste

Iguchi, Tetsuo*; Hasegawa, Makoto; Takahashi, Kuniaki; Enokido, Yuji*

Dekomisshoningu Giho, (52), p.12 - 19, 2015/09

no abstracts in English

Performance evaluation of a resonance ionization mass spectrometer developed for the FFDL system of fast reactors

Iwata, Yoshihiro; Ito, Chikara; Harano, Hideki*; Iguchi, Tetsuo*

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 51(4), p.465 - 475, 2014/04

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2014.874960

To prevent a fuel failure event from becoming a serious radiation accident, sodium-cooled fast reactors are equipped with a system for failed fuel detection and location (FFDL). The FFDL instrument employed in the prototype fast breeder reactor Monju is based on the gas tagging method, in which precise and accurate measurements of krypton and xenon isotope ratios (Kr/Kr, Kr/Kr and Xe/Xe) must be performed in a short time. Burnup measurements also contribute to accurate determination of Kr/Kr. We have developed a highly sensitive resonance ionization mass spectrometer for the isotopic analyses, which uses resonance ionization of Kr and Xe atoms by a pulsed laser at wavelengths of 216.7 nm and 249.6 nm, respectively. In evaluating the performance of our spectrometer, we find that systematic errors caused by isotope shifts can be reduced to negligible levels, and that statistical errors of 3% at a nuclide concentration of 7 ppt can be achieved with a single measurement time of about 40 minutes for each Kr and Xe isotope ratio. This means that, within one hour, about 200 fuel assemblies can be individually identified with a probability of 99%, verifying the applicability of our spectrometer to the FFDL system of fast reactors.

Development of neutron spectrum unfolding method for advanced nuclear emulsion

Maeda, Shigetaka; Ito, Chikara; Ishihara, Kohei*; Takagi, Keisuke*; Minato, Haruna*; Sakai, Yosuke*; Kawarabayashi, Jun*; Tomita, Hideki*; Iguchi, Tetsuo*

Progress in Nuclear Science and Technology (Internet), 4, p.665 - 669, 2014/04

https://doi.org/10.15669/pnst.4.665

In order to realize neutron spectroscopy in high-intensity ray fields, an advanced nuclear emulsion based on a non-sensitized OPERA film with AgBr grain sizes of 60 nm has been developed together with a neutron spectrum unfolding method. The response functions were evaluated in the neutron energy range between 0.1 and 4.5 MeV by Monte Carlo calculations. To realize a highly reliable unfolding method that does not require an initial guess spectrum, an algorithm was formulized based on the maximum entropy principle and the maximum likelihood method, and the new unfolding code MEALU was developed. Through analyses of mock-up data, its performance was checked. The neutron spectrum from fresh fuel from the experimental fast reactor Joyo was estimated and track lengths were simulated using the calculated response function and the estimated spectrum. Comparison between the assumed neutron spectrum and the unfolded one confirmed the effectiveness of the proposed technique.

A New unfolding code combined maximum entropy and maximum likelihood for neutron spectrum measurement

Maeda, Shigetaka; Iguchi, Tetsuo*

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 50(4), p.381 - 386, 2013/03

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2013.773162

We present a new spectrum unfolding code, the Maximum Entropy and Maximum Likelihood Unfolding Code (MEALU), based on the maximum likelihood method combined with the maximum entropy method, which can determine a neutron spectrum without requiring an initial guess spectrum. The Normal or Poisson distributions can be used for the statistical distribution. MEALU can treat full covariance data for a measured detector response and response function. The algorithm was verified through an analysis of mock-up data and its performance was checked by applying it to measured data. The results for measured data from the experimental fast reactor Joyo also were compared with those obtained by the conventional J-log method for neutron spectrum adjustment. It was found that MEALU has potential advantages over conventional methods with regard to preparation of a priori information and error estimation.

Present status and problems of neutron spectrum unfolding method in reactor dosimetry

Maeda, Shigetaka; Iguchi, Tetsuo*

Nihon Genshiryoku Gakkai Wabun Rombunshi, 10(2), p.63 - 75, 2011/06

https://doi.org/10.3327/taesj.J10.020

Neutron spectrum unfolding is a widely applied technique to characterize neutron fields for various types of reactor dosimetry, where the neutron spectrum is derived from integral measured data such as multiple-foil activation rates, moderated neutron detector counts, etc. A lot of spectrum unfolding codes have been developed so far and their performances compared to each other. However, standardized metrology for neutron spectrum unfolding is not satisfactorily established yet from the viewpoint of adequate selection and usage of unfolding codes, response function database and input data set preparation. This article reviews the present status on the neutron spectrum unfolding techniques mainly related to the reactor dosimetry with activation foils and discusses the validity of the solution spectra obtained from different kinds of unfolding codes under a typical fast reactor neutron field. The results show that the solution spectrum strongly depends on a guess spectrum required to the input data as well as the theoretical assumption in each unfolding code. The issues to improve the accuracy of reactor dosimetry are summarized on the input spectrum, nuclear database and the standardization of unfolding procedure, respectively.